INTERNATIONAL MARKETING ASSIGNMENT 2

COUNTRY ANALYSIS, ASSESSING DYNAMICS ENVIRONMENT

Done by:TT16D065 U.Uguumur

Year 2020
 Content
 About USA
 Wildlife
 Population
 Language
 Religion
 Family structure
 Health
 Education
 Government and politics
 Political divisions
 Foreign relation
 Government finance
 Military
 Law enforcement and crime
 Economy
 Science and technology
 Income, poverty and wealth
 Infrastructure
 Transportation
 Energy
 Water supply and sanitation
 Culture
 Food
 Literature, philosophy, and visual art
 Music
 Cinema
 Sports
 Mass media
 Taxation in the United States
 List of U.S. states by electricity production from renewable sources
 Laws & Regulations
 Source

2
 About USA
The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US)
or America, is a country consisting of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing
territories, and various possessions.[g] At 3.8 million square miles (9.8 million km2), it is the
world's third- or fourth-largest country by total area[c]. Most of the country is located in
central North America between Canada and Mexico. With an estimated population of over
328 million, the U.S. is the third most populous country in the world. The capital is Washington,
D.C., and the most populous city is New York City.

Paleo-Indians migrated from Siberia to the North American mainland at least 12,000 years ago.
[19]
 European colonization began in the 16th century. The United States emerged from
the thirteen British colonies established along the East Coast. Numerous disputes
between Great Britain and the colonies led to the American Revolutionary War lasting between
1775 and 1783, leading to independence. [20] The United States embarked on a vigorous
expansion across North America throughout the 19th century—gradually acquiring new
territories,[21] displacing Native Americans, and admitting new states—until 1848 when it
spanned the continent.[21] During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led
to the abolition of slavery in the United States.[22][23] The Spanish–American War and World War
I confirmed the country's status as a global military power.

The United States emerged from World War II as a global superpower. It was the first country to
develop nuclear weapons and the only country to have used them in warfare. During the Cold
War, the United States and the Soviet Union competed in the Space Race, culminating with the
1969 Apollo 11 mission, the spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. The end of the
Cold War and collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the world's sole
superpower.[24]

The United States is a federal republic and a representative democracy. It is a founding member

of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American
States (OAS), NATO, and other international organizations. It is a permanent member of
the United Nations Security Council.

A highly developed country, the United States is the world's largest economy by nominal GDP,
the second-largest by purchasing power parity, and accounts for approximately a quarter of
global GDP.[25] The United States is the world's largest importer and the second-largest

3
exporter of goods, by value.[26][27] Although its population is 4% of the world total, [28] it holds 31%
of the total wealth in the world, the largest share of global wealth concentrated in a single
country.[29] Despite income and wealth disparities, the United States continues to rank very
high in measures of socioeconomic performance, including average wage, median
income, median wealth, human development, per capita GDP, and worker productivity.[30][31] It is
the foremost military power in the world, making up more than a third of global military spending,
[32]
 and is a leading political, cultural, and scientific force internationally.[33]

The land area of the entire United States is approximately 3,800,000 square miles
(9,841,955 km2),[218] with the contiguous United States making up 2,959,064 square miles
(7,663,940.6 km2) of that. Alaska, separated from the contiguous United States by Canada, is
the largest state at 663,268 square miles (1,717,856.2 km2). Hawaii, occupying an archipelago
in the central Pacific, southwest of North America, is 10,931 square miles (28,311 km2) in area.
The populated territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands,
and U.S. Virgin Islands together cover 9,185 square miles (23,789 km2).[219] Measured by only
land area, the United States is third in size behind Russia and China, just ahead of Canada.[220]

The United States is the world's third- or fourth-largest nation by total area (land and water),
ranking behind Russia and Canada and just above or below China. The ranking varies
depending on how two territories disputed by China and India are counted, and how the total
size of the United States is measured.[c] The Encyclopædia Britannica, for instance, lists the size
of the United States as 3,677,649 square miles (9,525,067 km2), as they do not count the
country's coastal or territorial waters.[221] The World Factbook, which includes those waters,
gives 3,796,742 square miles (9,833,517 km2).[222]

The coastal plain of the Atlantic seaboard gives way further inland to deciduous forests and the
rolling hills of the Piedmont.[223] The Appalachian Mountains divide the eastern seaboard from
the Great Lakes and the grasslands of the Midwest.[224] The Mississippi–Missouri River, the
world's fourth longest river system, runs mainly north–south through the heart of the country.
The flat, fertile prairie of the Great Plains stretches to the west, interrupted by a highland
region in the southeast.[224]

The Grand Canyon in Southwestern United States.

The Rocky Mountains, at the western edge of the Great Plains, extend north to south across the
country, reaching altitudes higher than 14,000 feet (4,300 m) in Colorado.[225] Farther west are
the rocky Great Basin and deserts such as the Chihuahua and Mojave.[226] The Sierra

4
Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges run close to the Pacific coast, both ranges reaching
altitudes higher than 14,000 feet (4,300 m). The lowest and highest points in
[227]
the contiguous United States are in the state of California,  and only about 84 miles (135 km)
[228]
apart.  At an elevation of 20,310 feet (6,190.5 m), Alaska's Denali (Mount McKinley) is the
highest peak in the country and North America. [229] Active volcanoes are common throughout
Alaska's Alexander and Aleutian Islands, and Hawaii consists of volcanic islands.
The supervolcano underlying Yellowstone National Park in the Rockies is the continent's largest
volcanic feature.[230] The United States has the most ecoregions out of any country in the world.
[231]

Köppen climate classifications of U.S. states

and territories

The United States, with its large size and

geographic variety, includes most climate types.
To the east of the 100th meridian, the climate
ranges from humid continental in the north
to humid subtropical in the south.[232] The Great
Plains west of the 100th meridian are semi-arid.
Much of the Western mountains have an alpine
climate. The climate is arid in the Great Basin,
desert in the
Southwest, Mediterranean in coastal California,
and oceanic in
coastal Oregon and Washington and southern
Alaska. Most of Alaska is subarctic or polar. Hawaii and the southern tip of Florida are tropical,
as are the populated territories in the Caribbean and the Pacific. [233] Extreme weather is not
uncommon—the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico are prone to hurricanes, and most of the
world's tornadoes occur in the country, mainly in Tornado Alley areas in the Midwest and South.
[234]

Wildlife
Main articles: Fauna of the United States and Flora of the United States

See also: Category:Biota of the United States

5
The U.S. ecology is megadiverse: about 17,000 species of vascular plants occur in the
contiguous United States and Alaska, and more than 1,800 species of flowering plants are
found in Hawaii, few of which occur on the mainland. [235] The United States is home to 428
mammal species, 784 bird species, 311 reptile species, and 295 amphibian species. [236] About
91,000 insect species have been described.[237]

The bald eagle has been the national bird of the United States since

1782.[238]

The bald eagle is both the national bird and national animal of the

United States, and is an enduring symbol of the country itself.[239]

There are 62 national parks and hundreds of other federally

managed parks, forests, and wilderness areas, a total of 419 sites
in total managed by the National Park Service.[240] Altogether, the
government owns about 28% of the country's land area.[241] Most of
this is protected, though some is leased for oil and gas drilling, mining, logging, or cattle
ranching; about .86% is used for military purposes.[242][243]

Environmental issues have been on the national agenda since 1970. Environmental

controversies include debates on oil and nuclear energy, dealing with air and water pollution,
the economic costs of protecting wildlife, logging and deforestation,[244][245] and international
responses to global warming.[246][247] Many federal and state agencies are involved. The most
prominent is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), created by presidential order in 1970.
[248]
 The idea of wilderness has shaped the management of public lands since 1964, with
the Wilderness Act.[249] The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is intended to protect threatened
and endangered species and their habitats, which are monitored by the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service.[250]

Demographics

Main articles: Americans, Demography of the United States, and Race and ethnicity in the

United States

Population
See also: List of U.S. states by population and List of United States cities by population

Historical population

6
Census Pop. %±

1790 3,929,214 —

1800 5,308,483 35.1%

1810 7,239,881 36.4%

1820 9,638,453 33.1%

1830 12,866,020 33.5%

1840 17,069,453 32.7%

1850 23,191,876 35.9%

1860 31,443,321 35.6%

1870 38,558,371 22.6%

1880 50,189,209 30.2%

1890 62,979,766 25.5%

1900 76,212,168 21.0%

1910 92,228,496 21.0%

1920 106,021,537 15.0%

1930 123,202,624 16.2%

1940 132,164,569 7.3%

1950 151,325,798 14.5%

1960 179,323,175 18.5%

7
 1970 203,211,926 13.3%

1980 226,545,805 11.5%

1990 248,709,873 9.8%

2000 281,421,906 13.2%

2010 308,745,538 9.7%

Est. 2019[251] 328,239,523 6.3%

1610–1780 population data.[252]

Note that the census numbers do
not include Native Americans until 1860.[253]

The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the country's population to be 328,239,523 as of July 1,

2019, and to be adding one person (net gain) every 13 seconds, or about 6,646 people per day.
[28]
 The U.S. population almost quadrupled during the 20th century, from 76 million in 1900 to
281 million in 2000.[254] The third most populous nation in the world, after China and India, the
United States is the only major industrialized nation in which large population increases are
projected.[255] In the 1800s the average woman had 7.04 children; [256] by the 1900s this number
had decreased to 3.56.[257] Since the early 1970s the birth rate has been below the replacement
rate of 2.1 with 1.76 children per woman in 2017. [258] Foreign-born immigration has caused the
U.S. population to continue its rapid increase with the foreign-born population doubling from
almost 20 million in 1990 to over 45 million in 2015, [259] representing one-third of the population
increase.[260] In 2018, there were almost 90 million immigrants and U.S.-born children of
immigrants (second-generation Americans) in the United States, accounting for 28% of the
overall U.S. population.[261] The United States has a very diverse population; 37 ancestry
groups have more than one million members. [262] German Americans are the largest ethnic
group (more than 50 million)—followed by Irish Americans (circa 37 million), Mexican
Americans (circa 31 million) and English Americans (circa 28 million).[263][264]

White Americans (mostly European ancestry group with 73.1% of total population) are the

largest racial group; black Americans are the nation's largest racial minority (note that in the
U.S. Census, Hispanic and Latino Americans are counted as an ethnic group, not a "racial"

8
group), and third-largest ancestry group. [262] Asian Americans are the country's second-largest
racial minority; the three largest Asian American ethnic groups are Chinese Americans, Filipino
Americans, and Indian Americans.[262] According to a 2015 survey, the largest American
community with European ancestry is German Americans, which consists of more than 14% of
the total population.[265] In 2010, the U.S. population included an estimated 5.2 million people
with some American Indian or Alaska Native ancestry (2.9 million exclusively of such ancestry)
and 1.2 million with some native Hawaiian or Pacific island ancestry (0.5 million exclusively).
[266]
 The census counted more than 19 million people of "Some Other Race" who were "unable to
identify with any" of its five official race categories in 2010, more than 18.5 million (97%) of
whom are of Hispanic ethnicity.[266]

The population growth of Hispanic and Latino Americans (the terms are officially
interchangeable) is a major demographic trend. The 50.5 million Americans of Hispanic
descent[266] are identified as sharing a distinct "ethnicity" by the Census Bureau; 64% of Hispanic
Americans are of Mexican descent.[267] Between 2000 and 2010, the country's Hispanic
population increased 43% while the non-Hispanic population rose just 4.9%.[268] Much of this
growth is from immigration; in 2007, 12.6% of the U.S. population was foreign-born, with 54% of
that figure born in Latin America.[269][i]

The drop in the U.S. fertility rate from 2.08 per woman in 2007 to 1.76 in 2017 was mostly due
to the declining birth rate of Hispanics, teenagers, and young women, although the birth rate for
older women rose,[276] below the replacement rate of 2.1. In 2018 the median age of the United
States population was 38.1 years.[277]

Minorities (as defined by the Census Bureau as all those beside non-Hispanic, non-
multiracial whites) constituted 37% of the population in 2012[278] and over 50% of children under
age one,[279][273] and are projected to constitute the majority by 2044.[279]

The United States has a birth rate of 13 per 1,000, which is five births below the world average.
[280]
 Its population growth rate is positive at 0.7%, higher than that of many developed nations.
[281]
 In fiscal year 2017, more than a million immigrants (most of whom entered through family
reunification) were granted legal residence.[282] Mexico has been the leading source of new
residents since the 1965 Immigration Act. China, India, and the Philippines have been in the top
four sending countries since the 1990s.[283] As of 2015, approximately 12 million residents
were illegal immigrants.[284] As of 2015, 47% of all immigrants are Hispanic, 26% are Asian, 18%
are white and 8% are black. The percentage of immigrants who are Asian is increasing while
the percentage who are Hispanic is decreasing. [259] In 2017, 33,000 refugees were resettled in

9
the United States. This was fewer than were resettled in the rest of the world for the first time in
decades.[285] A 2017 Gallup poll concluded that 4.5% of adult Americans identified as LGBT with
5.1% of women identifying as LGBT, compared with 3.9% of men. [286] The highest percentage
came from the District of Columbia (10%), while the lowest state was North Dakota at 1.7%.[287]

Major population areas

Population by state (2015):

  580k–2.8M

  2.8M–5.28M

  5.28M–8.26M

  8.26M–11.6M

  11.6M–19.6M

  19.6M–26.5M

  26.5M–38.4M

  38.4M+

The U.S. Census Bureau numerically ranks population areas by city, metropolitan statistical

areas (MSAs), and larger combined statistical areas (CSAs).

About 82% of Americans live in urban areas (including suburbs);[222] about half of those reside in
cities with populations over 50,000.[288] In 2008, 273 incorporated municipalities had populations
over 100,000, nine cities had more than one million residents, and four global cities had over
two million (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston).[289]

Estimates for the year 2018 show that 53 metropolitan areas have populations greater than one
million. Many metros in the South, Southwest and West grew significantly between 2010 and
2018. The Dallas and Houston metros increased by more than a million people, while

10
the Washington, D.C., Miami, Atlanta, and Phoenix metros all grew by more than 500,000
people.

In addition to official census groupings based on the aforementioned city, MSA, and CSA level,
clusters of American cities can also be known as megaregions: the largest being the Great
Lakes Megalopolis followed by the Northeast Megalopolis and Southern California.

Language
Main article: Languages of the United States

See also: Language Spoken at Home in the United States of America, List of endangered

languages in the United States, and Language education in the United States

English (specifically, American English) is the de facto national language of the United States.

Although there is no official language at the federal level, some laws—such as U.S.
naturalization requirements—standardize English. In 2010, about 230 million, or 80% of the
population aged five years and older, spoke only English at home. Spanish, spoken by 12% of
the population at home, is the second most common language and the most widely taught
second language.[290][291] Some Americans advocate making English the country's official
language, as it is in 32 states.[292]

Both Hawaiian and English are official languages in Hawaii, by state law.

[293]
 Alaska recognizes twenty Native languages as well as English.[294] South Dakota recognizes
the Sioux language as an official language alongside English.[295] While neither has an official
language, New Mexico has laws providing for the use of both English and Spanish,
as Louisiana does for English and French.[296] Other states, such as California, mandate the
publication of Spanish versions of certain government documents including court forms.[297]

Several insular territories grant official recognition to their native languages, along with
English: Samoan[298] is officially recognized by American Samoa. Chamorro[299] is an official
language of Guam. Both Carolinian and Chamorro have official recognition in the Northern
Mariana Islands.[300] Spanish is an official language of Puerto Rico and is more widely spoken
than English there.[301]

The most widely taught foreign languages in the United States, in terms of enrollment numbers
from kindergarten through university undergraduate education, are: Spanish (around 7.2 million
students), French (1.5 million), and German (500,000). Other commonly taught languages (with
100,000 to 250,000 learners) include Latin, Japanese, ASL, Italian, and Chinese.[302][303] 18% of
all Americans claim to speak at least one language in addition to English.[304]

11
Languages spoken at home by more than 1 million persons in the U.S. (2016)[305][306][j]

Number
Number who
who speak
Percent of Number
speak English
Language populatio of
English less
n speakers
very than
well very
well

237,810,02
English (only) ~80% N/A N/A
3

Spanish
23,899,42 16,590,39
(including Spanish Creole but 13% 40,489,813
1 2
excluding Puerto Rico)

Chinese
(all varieties,
1.0% 3,372,930 1,518,619 1,854,311
including Mandarin and Cantonese
)

Tagalog
0.5% 1,701,960 1,159,211 542,749
(including Filipino)

Vietnamese 0.4% 1,509,993 634,273 875,720

Arabic
0.3% 1,231,098 770,882 460,216
(all varieties)

12
 Languages spoken at home by more than 1 million persons in the U.S. (2016)[305][306][j]

Number
Number who
who speak
Percent of Number
speak English
Language populatio of
English less
n speakers
very than
well very
well

French
0.3% 1,216,668 965,584 251,087
(including Patois and Cajun)

Korean 0.2% 1,088,788 505,734 583,054

Religion
Main article: Religion in the United States

Religion in the United States (2017)[307]

  Protestantism (48.5%)

  Catholicism (22.7%)

  Mormonism (1.8%)

  No religion (21.3%)

  Judaism (2.1%)

  Islam (0.8%)

  Other non-Abrahamic religion (e.g. Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism) (2.9%)

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion and
forbids Congress from passing laws respecting its establishment.

13
In a 2013 survey, 56% of Americans said religion played a "very important role in their lives", a
far higher figure than that of any other Western nation. [308] In a 2009 Gallup poll, 42% of
Americans said they attended church weekly or almost weekly; the figures ranged from a low of
23% in Vermont to a high of 63% in Mississippi.[309]

As with other Western countries, the U.S. is becoming less religious. Irreligion is growing rapidly
among Americans under 30.[310] Polls show that overall American confidence in organized
religion has been declining since the mid to late 1980s,[311] and that younger Americans, in
particular, are becoming increasingly irreligious. [312][313] According to a 2012 study, the Protestant
share of the U.S. population had dropped to 48%, thus ending its status as religious category of
the majority for the first time.[314][315] Americans with no religion have 1.7 children compared to 2.2
among Christians. The unaffiliated are less likely to get married with 37% marrying compared to
52% of Christians.[316]

According to a 2014 survey, 70.6% of adults in the United States identified themselves
as Christians;[317] Protestants accounted for 46.5%, while Roman Catholics, at 20.8%, formed
the largest single denomination.[318] In 2014, 5.9% of the U.S. adult population claimed a non-
Christian religion.[312] These include Judaism (1.9%), Islam (0.9%), Hinduism (0.7%),
and Buddhism (0.7%).[312] The survey also reported that 22.8% of Americans described
themselves as agnostic, atheist or simply having no religion—up from 8.2% in 1990.[318][319]
[320]
 There are also Unitarian
Universalist, Scientologist, Baha'i, Sikh, Jain, Shinto, Zoroastrian, Confucian, Satanist, Taoist, D
ruid, Native American, Afro-American, traditional
[321][322]
African, Wiccan, Gnostic, humanist and deist communities.

Protestantism is the largest Christian religious grouping in the United States, accounting for
almost half of all Americans. Baptists collectively form the largest branch of Protestantism at
15.4%,[323] and the Southern Baptist Convention is the largest individual Protestant denomination
at 5.3% of the U.S. population. [323] Apart from Baptists, other Protestant categories
include nondenominational Protestants, Methodists, Pentecostals, unspecified
Protestants, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Congregationalists,
other Reformed, Episcopalians/Anglicans, Quakers, Adventists, Holiness, Christian
fundamentalists, Anabaptists, Pietists, and multiple others.[323] Two-thirds of American
Protestants consider themselves to be born again.[323] Roman Catholicism in the United States
has its origin primarily in the Spanish and French colonization of the Americas, as well as in the
English colony of Maryland.[324] It later grew because of Irish, Italian, Polish, German and

14
Hispanic immigration. Rhode Island has the highest percentage of Catholics, with 40 percent of
the total population.[325] Utah is the only state where Mormonism is the religion of the majority of
the population.[326] The Mormon Corridor also extends to parts
[327]
of Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming.  Eastern Orthodoxy is claimed by 5% of
people in Alaska,[328] a former Russian colony, and maintains a presence on the U.S. mainland
due to recent immigration from Eastern Europe. Finally, a number of other Christian groups are
active across the country, including the Oneness Pentecostals, Jehovah's
Witnesses, Restorationists, Churches of Christ, Christian Scientists, Unitarians and many
others.

The Bible Belt is an informal term for a region in the Southern United States in which socially
conservative evangelical Protestantism is a significant part of the culture and Christian church
attendance across the denominations is generally higher than the nation's average. By contrast,
religion plays the least important role in New England and in the Western United States.[309]

Family structure
Main article: Family structure in the United States

As of 2018, 52% of Americans age 15 and over were married, 6% were widowed, 10% were
divorced, and 32% had never been married. [329] Women now work mostly outside the home and
receive the majority of bachelor's degrees.[330]

The U.S. teenage pregnancy rate is 26.5 per 1,000 women. The rate has declined by 57% since
1991.[331] Abortion is legal throughout the U.S., owing to Roe v. Wade, a 1973 landmark
decision by the Supreme Court of the United States. While the abortion rate is falling, the
abortion rates of 241 per 1,000 live births and 15 per 1,000 women aged 15–44, remain higher
than most Western nations.[332] In 2013, the average age at first birth was 26 and 41% of births
were to unmarried women.[333]

The total fertility rate (TFR) in 2016 was 1820.5 births per 1000 women.[334] Adoption in the
United States is common and relatively easy from a legal point of view (compared to other
Western countries).[335] As of 2001, with more than 127,000 adoptions, the U.S. accounted for
nearly half of the total number of adoptions worldwide. [needs update][336] Same-sex marriage is legal
nationwide, owing to the Supreme Court's 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, and it is legal
for same-sex couples to adopt. Polygamy is illegal throughout the U.S.[337]

The U.S. has the world's highest rate of children living in single-parent households.[338]

Health

15
See also: Health care in the United States, Health care reform in the United States, and Health
insurance in the United States

The Texas Medical Center in downtown Houston is the

largest medical complex in the world.

The United States had a life expectancy of 78.6 years at

birth in 2017, which was the third year of declines in life
expectancy following decades of continuous increase. The
recent decline, primarily among the age group 25 to 64, is
largely due to sharp increases in the drug overdose and suicide rates; the country has one of
the highest suicide rates among wealthy countries.[339][340] Life expectancy was highest among
Asians and Hispanics and lowest among blacks. [341][342] According to CDC and Census Bureau
data, deaths from suicide, alcohol and drug overdoses hit record highs in 2017. [343] At
the state/territory level, life expectancy ranges from 81.5 years at birth in Hawaii to 73.9 years at
birth in American Samoa.[344][345]

Increasing obesity in the United States and health improvements elsewhere contributed to

lowering the country's rank in life expectancy from 11th in the world in 1987, to 42nd in 2007,
and as of 2017 the country had the lowest life expectancy among 12 highly developed countries
(it was higher in Japan, Canada, Australia, the UK, and seven countries of western Europe). [346]
[347]
 Obesity rates have more than doubled in the last 30 years, are the highest in the
industrialized world, and are among the highest anywhere.[348][349] Approximately one-third of the
adult population is obese and an additional third is overweight. [350] Obesity-related type 2
diabetes is considered epidemic by health care professionals.[351]

In 2010, coronary artery disease, lung cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases,

and traffic accidents caused the most years of life lost in the U.S. Low back
pain, depression, musculoskeletal disorders, neck pain, and anxiety caused the most years lost
to disability. The most deleterious risk factors were poor diet, tobacco smoking, obesity, high
blood pressure, high blood sugar, physical inactivity, and alcohol use. Alzheimer's disease, drug
abuse, kidney disease, cancer, and falls caused the most additional years of life lost over their
age-adjusted 1990 per-capita rates.[352] U.S. teenage pregnancy and abortion rates are
substantially higher than in other Western nations, especially among blacks and Hispanics.[353]

16
The U.S. is a global leader in medical innovation. America solely developed or contributed
significantly to nine of the top 10 most important medical innovations since 1975 as ranked by a
2001 poll of physicians, while the European Union and Switzerland together contributed to five.
[354]
 Since 1966, more Americans have received the Nobel Prize in Medicine than the rest of the
world combined. From 1989 to 2002, four times more money was invested in private
biotechnology companies in America than in Europe.[355] The U.S. health-care system
far outspends any other nation, measured both in per capita spending and as percentage of
GDP.[356]

Health-care coverage in the United States is a combination of public and private efforts and is
not universal. In 2017, 12.2% of the population did not carry health insurance.[357] The subject of
uninsured and underinsured Americans is a major political issue.[358][359] In
2006, Massachusetts became the first state to mandate universal health insurance. [360] Federal
legislation, passed in early 2010, roughly halved the uninsured share of the population, though
the bill and its ultimate effect are issues of controversy.[361][362]

In 2020 the United States became subject to the 2019 novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
global pandemic, with the first case reported on January 20, 2020. [363] Although other counties
have seen numerous cases, including China where the disease was first identified, the United
States became the world's most affected country, with more than 85,500 confirmed cases, on
March 27, 2020, when it overtook China and Italy.[364]

Education
Main article: Education in the United States

The University of Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson in

1819, is one of the many public universities in the United
States. Universal government-funded education exists in the
United States, while there are also many privately funded
institutions.

American public education is operated by state and local governments, regulated by the United

States Department of Education through restrictions on federal grants. In most states, children
are required to attend school from the age of six or seven (generally, kindergarten or first grade)
until they turn 18 (generally bringing them through twelfth grade, the end of high school); some
states allow students to leave school at 16 or 17.[365]

17
About 12% of children are enrolled in parochial or nonsectarian private schools. Just over 2% of
children are homeschooled.[366] The U.S. spends more on education per student than any nation
in the world, spending more than $11,000 per elementary student in 2010 and more than
$12,000 per high school student.[367] Some 80% of U.S. college students attend public
universities.[368]

Of Americans 25 and older, 84.6% graduated from high school, 52.6% attended some college,
27.2% earned a bachelor's degree, and 9.6% earned graduate degrees.[369] The
basic literacy rate is approximately 99%.[222][370] The United Nations assigns the United States an
Education Index of 0.97, tying it for 12th in the world.[371]

Higher education
Main article: Higher education in the United States

The United States has many competitive private and public institutions of higher education. The
majority of the world's top universities listed by different ranking organizations are in the U.S. [372]
[373][374]
 There are also local community colleges with generally more open admission policies,
shorter academic programs, and lower tuition.

In 2018, U21, a network of research-intensive universities, ranked the United States first in the
world for breadth and quality of higher education, and 15th when GDP was a factor.[375]

As for public expenditures on higher education, the U.S. trails some other OECD nations but
spends more per student than the OECD average, and more than all nations in combined public
and private spending.[367][376] As of 2018, student loan debt exceeded 1.5 trillion dollars, more
than Americans owe on credit cards.[377][378]

Government and politics

Main articles: Federal government of the United States, Politics of the United States, State

governments of the United States, and Local government in the United States

18
The United States Capitol,
where Congress meets:
the Senate, left; the House, right

The White House, residence and workplace of the U.S. President

The Supreme Court Building, where the nation's highest court sits

The United States is the world's oldest surviving federation. It is a representative democracy, "in
which majority rule is tempered by minority rights protected by law".[379] The government is
regulated by a system of checks and balances defined by the U.S. Constitution, which serves as
the country's supreme legal document.[380] For 2018, the U.S. ranked 25th on the Democracy
Index.[381] On Transparency International's 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index its public
sector position further deteriorated from a score of 76 in 2015 to 69 in 2019.[382]

In the American federalist system, citizens are usually subject to three levels of government:
federal, state, and local. The local government's duties are commonly split
between county and municipal governments. In almost all cases, executive and legislative
officials are elected by a plurality vote of citizens by district. There is no proportional
representation at the federal level, and it is rare at lower levels.[383]

The federal government comprises three branches:

 Legislative: The bicameral Congress, made up of the Senate and the House of

Representatives, makes federal law, declares war, approves treaties, has the power of the

19
 purse,[384] and has the power of impeachment, by which it can remove sitting members of
the government.[385]
 Executive: The president is the commander-in-chief of the military, can veto legislative
bills before they become law (subject to Congressional override), and appoints the members
of the Cabinet (subject to Senate approval) and other officers, who administer and enforce
federal laws and policies.[386]
 Judicial: The Supreme Court and lower federal courts, whose judges are appointed by
the president with Senate approval, interpret laws and overturn those they
find unconstitutional.[387]

The House of Representatives has 435 voting members, each representing a congressional
district for a two-year term. House seats are apportioned among the states by population
following each decennial census. Each state then draws single-member districts to conform with
the census apportionment. At the 2010 census, seven states had the minimum of one
representative, while California, the most populous state, had 53. [388] The District of
Columbia and the five major U.S. territories each have one member of Congress—these
members are not allowed to vote.[389]

The Senate has 100 members with each state having two senators, elected at-large to six-year
terms; one-third of Senate seats are up for election every other year. The District of Columbia
and the five major U.S. territories do not have senators.[389] The president serves a four-year
term and may be elected to the office no more than twice. The president is not elected by direct
vote, but by an indirect electoral college system in which the determining votes are apportioned
to the states and the District of Columbia. [390] The Supreme Court, led by the chief justice of the
United States, has nine members, who serve for life.[391]

The state governments are structured in a roughly similar fashion; Nebraska uniquely has

a unicameral legislature.[392] The governor (chief executive) of each state is directly elected.
Some state judges and cabinet officers are appointed by the governors of the respective states,
while others are elected by popular vote.

The original text of the Constitution establishes the structure and responsibilities of the federal
government and its relationship with the individual states. Article One protects the right to the
"great writ" of habeas corpus. The Constitution has been amended 27 times;[393] the first ten
amendments, which make up the Bill of Rights, and the Fourteenth Amendment form the central
basis of Americans' individual rights. All laws and governmental procedures are subject
to judicial review and any law ruled by the courts to be in violation of the Constitution is voided.

20
The principle of judicial review, not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, was established by
the Supreme Court in Marbury v. Madison (1803)[394] in a decision handed down by Chief Justice
John Marshall.[395]

Political divisions
Main articles: Political divisions of the United States, U.S. state, Territories of the United
States, List of states and territories of the United States, and Indian reservation

Further information: Territorial evolution of the United States and United States territorial

acquisitions

Map of the United States showing the 50 states

The United States is a federal republic of 50

states, a federal district, five territories and
several uninhabited island possessions.[396][397]
[398]
 The states and territories are the principal
administrative districts in the country. These are
divided into subdivisions of counties and
independent cities. The District of Columbia is a federal district that contains the capital of the
United States, Washington, D.C.[399] The states and the District of Columbia choose the
president of the United States. Each state has presidential electors equal to the number of their
representatives and senators in Congress; the District of Columbia has three (because of
the 23rd Amendment).[400] Territories of the United States such as Puerto Rico do not have
presidential electors, and so people in those territories cannot vote for the president.[389]

Map of the U.S. Economic Exclusion Zone

The United States also observes tribal sovereignty of the American

Indian nations to a limited degree, as it does with the states'
sovereignty. American Indians are U.S. citizens and tribal lands are
subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress and the federal
courts. Like the states they have a great deal of autonomy, but also like the states, tribes are not
allowed to make war, engage in their own foreign relations, or print and issue currency.[401]

21
Citizenship is granted at birth in all states, the District of Columbia, and all major U.S. territories
except American Samoa.[402][403]

Foreign relations
Main articles: Foreign relations of the United States and Foreign policy of the United States

The United Nations Headquarters was built in Midtown Manhattan in 1952.

The United States has an established structure of foreign relations. It is a permanent member of
the United Nations Security Council and New York City is home to the United Nations
Headquarters. It is a member of the G7,[415] G20, and OECD. Almost all countries
have embassies in Washington, D.C., and many have consulates around the country. Likewise,
nearly all nations host American diplomatic missions. However, Iran, North Korea, Bhutan, and
the Republic of China (Taiwan) do not have formal diplomatic relations with the United States
(although the U.S. still relations to Bhutan via it's embassy in India and also maintains unofficial
relations with Taiwan and supplies it with military equipment).[416]

The United States has a "Special Relationship" with the United Kingdom[417] and strong ties
with [418] India, Canada,[419] Australia,[420] New Zealand,[421] the Philippines,[422] Japan,[423] South
Korea,[424] Israel,[425] and several European Union countries, including France, Italy, Germany,
and Spain. It works closely with fellow NATO members on military and security issues and with
its neighbors through the Organization of American States and free trade agreements such as
the trilateral North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. In 2008, the
United States spent a net $25.4 billion on official development assistance, the most in the world.
As a share of America's large gross national income (GNI), however, the U.S. contribution of
0.18% ranked last among 22 donor states. By contrast, private overseas giving by Americans is
relatively generous.[426] Colombia is traditionally considered by the United States as its most
loyal ally in South America. Policymakers in both countries consider Plan Colombia to be a
foreign policy success for the United States.[427][428][429]

The U.S. exercises full international defense authority and responsibility for three sovereign
nations through Compact of Free Association with Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau.
These are Pacific island nations, once part of the U.S.-administered Trust Territory of the Pacific
Islands after World War II, which gained independence in subsequent years.[430]

Government finance
See also: Taxation in the United States and United States federal budget

22
Government spending and revenue from 1792 to 2018

Taxes in the United States are levied at the federal, state, and local government levels. These
include taxes on income, payroll, property, sales, imports, estates and gifts, as well as various
fees. Taxation in the United States is based on citizenship, not residency. [431] Both non-resident
citizens and Green Card holders living abroad are taxed on their income irrespective of where
they live or where their income is earned. It is the only country in the world, other than Eritrea, to
do so.[432]

In 2010 taxes collected by federal, state and municipal governments amounted to 24.8%
of GDP.[433] During FY2012, the federal government collected approximately $2.45 trillion in tax
revenue, up $147 billion or 6% versus FY2011 revenues of $2.30 trillion. Primary receipt
categories included individual income taxes ($1,132B or 47%), Social Security/Social Insurance
taxes ($845B or 35%), and corporate taxes ($242B or 10%). [434] Based on CBO estimates,
[435]
 under 2013 tax law the top 1% will be paying the highest average tax rates since 1979, while
other income groups will remain at historic lows.[436]

U.S. federal debt held by the public as a

percentage of GDP, from 1790 to 2013[437]

U.S. taxation has historically been

generally progressive, especially the federal
income taxes, though by most measures it became noticeably less progressive after 1980. [438]
[439]
 It has sometimes been described as among the most progressive in the developed world,
but this characterization is controversial. [440][441][442][443][439] As of 2015, the highest 10% of income
earners pay a majority of federal taxes,[444] and about half of all taxes.[445] Payroll taxes for Social
Security are a flat regressive tax, with no tax charged on income above $118,500 (for 2015 and
2016) and no tax at all paid on unearned income from things such as stocks and capital gains.
[446][447]
 The historic reasoning for the regressive nature of the payroll tax is that entitlement

23
programs have not been viewed as welfare transfers. [448][449] However, according to
the Congressional Budget Office the net effect of Social Security is that the benefit to tax ratio
ranges from roughly 70% for the top earnings quintile to about 170% for the lowest earning
quintile, making the system progressive.[450]

United States debt from 1940 to 2015

The top 10% paid 51.8% of total federal taxes in 2009, and
the top 1%, with 13.4% of pre-tax national income, paid
22.3% of federal taxes.[451] In 2013 the Tax Policy Center
projected total federal effective tax rates of 35.5% for the
top 1%, 27.2% for the top quintile, 13.8% for the middle
quintile, and −2.7% for the bottom quintile.[452]
[453]
 The incidence of corporate income tax has been a
matter of considerable ongoing controversy for decades. [443]
[454]
 State and local taxes vary widely, but are generally less
progressive than federal taxes as they rely heavily on broadly borne regressive sales and
property taxes that yield less volatile revenue streams, though their consideration does not
eliminate the progressive nature of overall taxation. [443][455] For 2018, the effective tax rate for the
wealthiest 400 households was 23%, compared to 24.2% for the bottom half of U.S.
households.[456]

During FY 2012, the federal government spent $3.54 trillion on a budget or cash basis, down
$60 billion or 1.7% vs. FY 2011 spending of $3.60 trillion. Major categories of FY 2012 spending
included: Medicare & Medicaid ($802B or 23% of spending), Social Security ($768B or 22%),
Defense Department ($670B or 19%), non-defense discretionary ($615B or 17%), other
mandatory ($461B or 13%) and interest ($223B or 6%).[434]

The total national debt of the United States in the United States was $18.527 trillion (106% of
the GDP) in 2014.[457][k] The United States has the largest external debt in the world [462] and the
14th largest government debt as a % of GDP in the world.

Military
Main article: United States Armed Forces

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73)

24
The president is the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces and appoints its leaders,
the secretary of defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The United States Department of
Defense administers the armed forces, including the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force,
and Space Force. The Coast Guard is run by the Department of Homeland Security in
peacetime and by the Department of the Navy during times of war. In 2008, the armed forces
had 1.4 million personnel on active duty. The Reserves and National Guard brought the total
number of troops to 2.3 million. The Department of Defense also employed about 700,000
civilians, not including contractors.[463]

Military service is voluntary, though conscription may occur in wartime through the Selective

Service System.[464] American forces can be rapidly deployed by the Air Force's large fleet of
transport aircraft, the Navy's 11 active aircraft carriers, and Marine expeditionary units at sea
with the Navy's Atlantic and Pacific fleets. The military operates 865 bases and facilities abroad,
[465]
 and maintains deployments greater than 100 active duty personnel in 25 foreign countries.
[466]

U.S. global military presence

The military budget of the United States in 2011

was more than $700 billion, 41% of global
military spending and equal to the next 14
largest national military expenditures combined.
At 4.7% of GDP, the rate was the second-highest among the top 15 military spenders,
after Saudi Arabia.[467] U.S. defense spending as a percentage of GDP ranked 23rd globally in
2012 according to the CIA.[468] Defense spending plays a major role in science and technology
investment, with roughly half of U.S. federal research and development funded by the
Department of Defense.[469] Defense's share of the overall U.S. economy has generally declined
in recent decades, from Cold War peaks of 14.2% of GDP in 1953 and 69.5% of federal outlays
in 1954 to 4.7% of GDP and 18.8% of federal outlays in 2011.[470]

The proposed base Department of Defense budget for 2012, $553 billion, was a 4.2% increase
over 2011; an additional $118 billion was proposed for the military campaigns in Iraq and
Afghanistan.[471] The last American troops serving in Iraq departed in December 2011;[472] 4,484
service members were killed during the Iraq War.[473] Approximately 90,000 U.S. troops were

25
serving in Afghanistan in April 2012;[474] by November 8, 2013 2,285 had been killed during
the War in Afghanistan.[475]

The country is one of the five recognized nuclear weapons states and possesses the second
largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world.[476] More than 90% of world's 14,000 nuclear
weapons are owned by Russia and the United States.[477]

Law enforcement and crime

Main articles: Law enforcement in the United States and Crime in the United States

See also: Law of the United States, Human rights in the United States §   Justice system,
and Incarceration in the United States

The New York Police Department (NYPD) is the largest in

the country.

Law enforcement in the United States is primarily the

responsibility of local police departments and sheriff's
offices, with state police providing broader services.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) is the largest in
the country. Federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S.
Marshals Service have specialized duties, including protecting civil rights, national security and
enforcing U.S. federal courts' rulings and federal laws. [478] At the federal level and in almost
every state, a legal system operates on a common law. State courts conduct most criminal trials
while federal courts handle certain designated crimes as well as certain appeals from the state
criminal courts.

A cross-sectional analysis of the World Health Organization Mortality Database from 2010

showed that United States "homicide rates were 7.0 times higher than in other high-income
countries, driven by a gun homicide rate that was 25.2 times higher." [479] Gun ownership
rights continue to be the subject of contentious political debate. In 2016, the US murder rate of
5.4 per 100,000 was similar to the estimated global average of 5.15 per 100,000.[480]

In 2017, there were 17,264 murders and the murder rate was 5.3 per 100,000. Regarding
method of murder, 73% of murders were committed by firearm, 10% by knife and 17% by other
means.[481] The violent crime rose sharply in the 1960s until the early 1990s and declined in the
late 1990s and 2000s.[481] In 2014, the murder rate fell to the lowest level (4.5) since 1957 (4.0).

26
[482]
 The violent crime rate increased by 5.9% between 2014 and 2017 and the murder rate by
20.5%. Of those arrested for serious violent crimes in 2017, 58.5% were white, 37.5% were
black, 2.1% were American Indian or Alaska Native and 1.5% Asian. Ethnically, 23.5% were
Hispanic and 76.5% were non-Hispanic.[483] Gun violence peaked in 1993 with 17,125 gun
murders before declining to 9,527 in 1999 and steadily rising since to 12,772. Non-gun murders
reached a peak in 1980 of 8,340 and declined in most years until the early 2010s with 4,668 in
2017.[484] The rate of robberies declined 62% between 1990 and 2017.[481]

From 1980 through 2008 males represented 77% of homicide victims and 90% of offenders.
Blacks committed 52.5% of all homicides during that span, at a rate almost eight times that of
whites ("whites" includes most Hispanics), and were victimized at a rate six times that of whites.
Most homicides were intraracial, with 93% of black victims killed by blacks and 84% of white
victims killed by whites.[485] In 2012, Louisiana had the highest rate of murder and non-negligent
manslaughter in the U.S., and New Hampshire the lowest. [486] The FBI's Uniform Crime
Reports estimates that there were 3,246 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents in
2012, for a total of more than nine million total crimes.[487]

Capital punishment is sanctioned in the United States for certain federal and military crimes,
and also at the state level in 30 states. [488][489] No executions took place from 1967 to 1977,
owing in part to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down arbitrary imposition of the death
penalty. In 1976 the Court ruled that, under appropriate circumstances, capital punishment may
constitutionally be imposed. Since the decision there have been more than 1,300 executions, a
majority of these taking place in three states: Texas, Virginia, and Oklahoma.
[490]
 Meanwhile, several states have either abolished or struck down death-penalty laws. In 2015,
the country had the fifth-highest number of executions in the world, following
China, Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.[491]

Incarceration in the United States

The United States has the highest documented

incarceration rate and largest prison population in the world.
[492]
 At the start of 2008, more than 2.3 million people were
incarcerated, more than one in every 100 adults.[493] In
December 2012, the combined U.S. adult correctional systems supervised about 6,937,600
offenders. About one in every 35 adult residents in the United States was under some form of

27
correctional supervision in December 2012, the lowest rate observed since 1997. [494] The prison
population has quadrupled since 1980,[495] and state and local spending on prisons and jails has
grown three times as much as that spent on public education during the same period.
[496]
 However, the imprisonment rate for all prisoners sentenced to more than a year in state or
federal facilities is 478 per 100,000 in 2013[497] and the rate for pre-trial/remand prisoners is 153
per 100,000 residents in 2012.[498] The country's high rate of incarceration is largely due to
changes in sentencing guidelines and drug policies.[499] According to the Federal Bureau of
Prisons, the majority of inmates held in federal prisons are convicted of drug offenses.
[500]
 The privatization of prisons and prison services which began in the 1980s has been a
subject of debate.[501][502] In 2018, Oklahoma had the highest incarceration rate (1,079 per
100,000 people), and Massachusetts the lowest (324 per 100,000 people).[503][504] Among
the U.S. territories, the highest incarceration rate was in the U.S. Virgin Islands (542 per
100,000 people) and the lowest was in Puerto Rico (313 per 100,000 people).[505][506]

Economy

Main article: Economy of the United States

See also: Economic history of the United States

Economic indicators

[507]
Nominal GDP $20.66 trillion (Q3
2018)

[507]
Real GDP growth 3.5% (Q3 2018)

[507]
2.1% (2017)

[508]
CPI inflation 2.2% (November
2018)

[509]
Employment-to- 60.6% (November
population ratio 2018)

[510]
Unemployment 3.7% (November
2018)

[511]
Labor 62.9% (November

28
 force participation 2018)
rate

[512]
Total public debt $21.85
trillion (November
2018)

[513]
Household net worth $109.0 trillion (Q3
2018)

According to the International Monetary Fund, the U.S. GDP of $16.8 trillion constitutes 24% of
the gross world product at market exchange rates and over 19% of the gross world product
at purchasing power parity (PPP).[514]

The nominal GDP of the U.S. is estimated to be $17.528 trillion as of 2014. [515] From 1983 to
2008, U.S. real compounded annual GDP growth was 3.3%, compared to a 2.3% weighted
average for the rest of the G7.[516] The country ranks ninth in the world in nominal GDP per
capita[517] and sixth in GDP per capita at PPP.[514] The U.S. dollar is the world's primary reserve
currency.[518]

The United States is the largest importer of goods and second-largest exporter, though exports

per capita are relatively low. In 2010, the total U.S. trade deficit was $635 billion.
[519]
 Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, and Germany are its top trading partners.[520] In 2010, oil
was the largest import commodity, while transportation equipment was the country's largest
export.[519]

The New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street is the world's

largest stock exchange (per market capitalization of its listed
companies)[521][522] at US$23.1 trillion as of April 2018.[523]

In 2009, the private sector was estimated to constitute

86.4% of the economy, with federal government activity
accounting for 4.3% and state and local government activity
(including federal transfers) the remaining 9.3%.[524] While its economy has reached
a postindustrial level of development and its service sector constitutes 67.8% of GDP, the
United States remains an industrial power.[525]

29
 Annual GDP per capita

Agriculture accounts for just under 1% of GDP, [525] although

the United States is the world's top producer
of corn[526] and soybeans.[527] The country is the primary
developer and grower of genetically modified food,
[528]
representing half of the world's biotech crops.  In the
contiguous 48 states, 35% of the land is used as pasture, 28% is covered by forest, and 21%
is agricultural cropland, with all other uses accounting for less than 20%.[529]

A tract housing development in San Jose, California

Consumer spending comprised 68% of the U.S. economy in

2015.[530] In August 2010, the American labor force
consisted of 154.1 million people. With 21.2 million people,
government is the leading field of employment. The largest
private employment sector is health care and social assistance, with 16.4 million people. About
12% of workers are unionized, compared to 30% in Western Europe.[531] The United States has
lost five million manufacturing jobs since 2000. [532] The World Bank ranks the United States first
in the ease of hiring and firing workers.[533] The United States is ranked among the top three in
the Global Competitiveness Report as well. It has a smaller welfare state and redistributes less
income through government action than European nations tend to.[534]

The United States is the only advanced economy that does not guarantee its workers paid
vacation[535] and is one of a few countries in the world without paid family leave as a legal right.
[536]
 While federal law does not require sick leave, it is a common benefit for government workers
and full-time employees at corporations. [537] 74% of full-time American workers get paid sick
leave, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, although only 24% of part-time workers get
the same benefits.[537] In 2009, the United States had the third-highest workforce productivity per
person in the world, behind Luxembourg and Norway. It was fourth in productivity per hour,
behind those two countries and the Netherlands.[538]

The 2008–2012 global recession significantly affected the United States, with output still below
potential according to the Congressional Budget Office.[539] It brought high unemployment (which

30
has been decreasing but remains above pre-recession levels), along with low consumer
confidence, the continuing decline in home values and increase in foreclosures and personal
bankruptcies, an escalating federal debt crisis, inflation, and rising petroleum and food prices.
[citation needed]

Science and technology

Main articles: Science and technology in the United States and Science policy of the United
States

Buzz Aldrin on the Moon, 1969

The United States has been a leader in technological

innovation since the late 19th century and scientific
research since the mid-20th century. Methods for
producing interchangeable parts were developed by the
U.S. War Department by the Federal Armories during the
first half of the 19th century. This technology, along with the
establishment of a machine tool industry, enabled the U.S.
to have large-scale manufacturing of sewing machines, bicycles, and other items in the late 19th
century and became known as the American system of manufacturing. Factory electrification in
the early 20th century and introduction of the assembly line and other labor-saving techniques
created the system called mass production.[540]

In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell was awarded the first U.S. patent for the telephone. Thomas
Edison's research laboratory, one of the first of its kind, developed the phonograph, the
first long-lasting light bulb, and the first viable movie camera.[541] The latter led to emergence of
the worldwide entertainment industry. In the early 20th century, the automobile companies
of Ransom E. Olds and Henry Ford popularized the assembly line. The Wright brothers, in
1903, made the first sustained and controlled heavier-than-air powered flight.[542]

The rise of fascism and Nazism in the 1920s and 1930s led many European scientists,
including Albert Einstein, Enrico Fermi, and John von Neumann, to immigrate to the United
States.[543] During World War II, the Manhattan Project developed nuclear weapons, ushering in
the Atomic Age, while the Space Race produced rapid advances in rocketry, materials science,
and aeronautics.[544][545]

31
The invention of the transistor in the 1950s, a key active component in practically all
modern electronics, led to many technological developments and a significant expansion of the
U.S. technology industry.[546][547][548] This, in turn, led to the establishment of many new
technology companies and regions around the country such as Silicon Valley in California.
Advancements by American microprocessor companies such as Advanced Micro
Devices (AMD), and Intel along with both computer software and hardware companies that
include Adobe Systems, Apple Inc., IBM, Microsoft, and Sun Microsystems created and
popularized the personal computer. The ARPANET was developed in the 1960s to
meet Defense Department requirements, and became the first of a series of networks which
evolved into the Internet.[549]

These advancements then lead to greater personalization of technology for individual use.[550] As

of 2013, 83.8% of American households owned at least one computer, and 73.3% had high-
speed Internet service.[551] 91% of Americans also own a mobile phone as of May 2013.[552] The
United States ranks highly with regard to freedom of use of the internet.[553]

In the 21st century, approximately two-thirds of research and development funding comes from
the private sector.[554] The United States leads the world in scientific research papers and impact
factor.[555][556]

Income, poverty and wealth

Further information: Income in the United States, Poverty in the United States, Affluence in the
United States, United States counties by per capita income, and Income inequality in the United
States

Accounting for 4.4% of the global population, Americans collectively possess 41.6% of the
world's total wealth,[557] and Americans make up roughly half of the world's population of
millionaires.[558] The Global Food Security Index ranked the U.S. number one for food
affordability and overall food security in March 2013. [559] Americans on average have more than
twice as much living space per dwelling and per person as European Union residents, and more
than every EU nation.[560] For 2017 the United Nations Development Programme ranked the
United States 13th among 189 countries in its Human
Development Index and 25th among 151 countries in
its inequality-adjusted HDI (IHDI).[561]

32
Wealth inequality in the U.S. increased from 1989 to 2013.[562]

After years of stagnant growth, in 2016, according to the Census, median household income
reached a record high after two consecutive years of record growth, although income inequality
remains at record highs with top fifth of earners taking home more than half of all overall
income.[563] There has been a widening gap between productivity and median incomes since the
1970s.[564] However, the gap between total compensation and productivity is not as wide
because of increased employee benefits such as health insurance.[565] The rise in the share of
total annual income received by the top one percent, which has more than doubled from nine
percent in 1976 to 20 percent in 2011, has significantly affected income inequality,[566] leaving
the United States with one of the widest income distributions among OECD nations.
[567]
 According to a 2018 study by the OECD, the United States has much higher income
inequality and a larger percentage of low-income workers than almost any other developed
nation. This is largely because at-risk workers get almost no government support and are further
set back by a very weak collective bargaining system.[568] The top one percent of income-
earners accounted for 52 percent of the income gains from 2009 to 2015, where income is
defined as market income excluding government transfers. [569] The extent and relevance of
income inequality is a matter of debate. [570][571][572] In 2018, U.S. income inequality reached the
highest level ever recorded by the Census Bureau.[573]

United States' families median net worth

1998 2013 change
in 2013 dollars
All families $102,500 $81,200 -20.8%
Bottom 20% of incomes $8,300 $6,100 -26.5%
2nd lowest 20% of incomes $47,400 $22,400 -52.7%
Middle 20% of incomes $76,300 $61,700 -19.1%
Top 10% $646,600 $1,130,700 +74.9%
[574]
Source: Fed Survey of Consumer Finances
Wealth, like income and taxes, is highly concentrated; the richest 10% of the adult population
possess 72% of the country's household wealth, while the bottom half claim only 2%.
[575]
 According to a September 2017 report by the Federal Reserve, the top 1% controlled 38.6%
of the country's wealth in 2016.[576] Between June 2007 and November 2008 the global
recession led to falling asset prices around the world. Assets owned by Americans lost about a
quarter of their value.[577] Since peaking in the second quarter of 2007, household wealth was
down $14 trillion, but has since increased $14 trillion over 2006 levels.[578][579] At the end of

33
2014, household debt amounted to $11.8 trillion,[580] down from $13.8 trillion at the end of 2008.
[581]

There were about 578,424 sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons in the U.S. in January
2014, with almost two-thirds staying in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program.
[582]
 In 2011 16.7 million children lived in food-insecure households, about 35% more than 2007
levels, though only 1.1% of U.S. children, or 845,000, saw reduced food intake or disrupted
eating patterns at some point during the year, and most cases were not chronic.[583] According to
a 2014 report by the Census Bureau, one in five young adults lives in poverty, up from one in
seven in 1980.[584] As of September 2017, 40 million people, roughly 12.7% of the U.S.
population, were living in poverty, with 18.5 million of those living in deep poverty (a family
income below one-half of the poverty threshold). In 2016, 13.3 million children were living in
poverty, which made up 32.6% of the impoverished population.[585]

In 2017, the region with the lowest poverty rate was New Hampshire (7.3%), and the region with
the highest poverty rate was American Samoa (65%).[586][587][588] Among the states, the highest
poverty rate was in Mississippi (21.9%).[589] According to the UN, around five million people in
the U.S. live in "third world" conditions.[590]

Infrastructure

Transportation
Main article: Transportation in the United States

The Interstate Highway System, which extends 46,876

miles (75,440 km)[591]

Personal transportation is dominated by automobiles, which

operate on a network of 4 million miles (6.4 million
kilometers) of public roads,[592] including one of the
world's longest highway systems at 57,000 mi (91,700 km).[593] The world's second-largest
automobile market,[594] the United States has the highest rate of per-capita vehicle ownership in
the world, with 765 vehicles per 1,000 Americans (1996). [595] About 40% of personal vehicles are
vans, SUVs, or light trucks.[596] The average American adult (accounting for all drivers and non-
drivers) spends 55 minutes driving every day, traveling 29 miles (47 km).[597] In 2017, there were

34
255,009,283 motor vehicles—including cars, vans, buses, freight, and other trucks, but
excluding motorcycles and other two-wheelers—or 910 vehicles per 1,000 people.[598]

Amtrak (passenger) rail speeds[599]

Mass transit accounts for 9% of total U.S. work trips. [600][601] Transport of goods by rail is
extensive, though relatively low numbers of passengers (approximately 31 million annually) use
intercity rail to travel, partly because of the low population density throughout much of the U.S.
interior.[602][603] However, ridership on Amtrak, the national intercity passenger rail system, grew
by almost 37% between 2000 and 2010.[604] Also, light rail development has increased in recent
years.[605] Bicycle usage for work commutes is minimal.[606]

The civil airline industry is entirely privately owned and has been largely deregulated since
1978, while most major airports are publicly owned.[607] The three largest airlines in the world by
passengers carried are U.S.-based; American Airlines is number one after its 2013 acquisition
by US Airways.[608] Of the world's 50 busiest passenger airports, 16 are in the United States,
including the busiest, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the fourth-busiest Los
Angeles International Airport, and the sixth-busiest O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.[609] In
the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks of 2001, the Transportation Security Administration was
created to police airports and commercial airliners.

Energy
Further information: Energy policy of the United States

The United States energy market is about 29,000 terawatt hours per year.[610] Energy

consumption per capita is 7.8 tons (7076 kg) of oil equivalent per year, the 10th-highest rate in
the world. In 2005, 40% of this energy came from petroleum, 23% from coal, and 22% from
natural gas. The remainder was supplied by nuclear power and renewable energy sources.
[611]
 The United States is the world's largest consumer of petroleum. [612] The United States has
27% of global coal reserves.[613] It is the world's largest producer of natural gas and crude oil.[614]

35
For decades, nuclear power has played a limited role relative to many other developed
countries, in part because of public perception following the Three Mile Island accident in 1979.
In 2007, several applications for new nuclear plants were filed.[615]

Since 2007, the total greenhouse gas emissions by the United States are the second highest by
country, exceeded only by China.[616][617] The United States has historically been the world's
largest producer of greenhouse gases and greenhouse gas emissions per capita remain high.
[618]

Water supply and sanitation

Main article: Drinking water supply and sanitation in the United States

Issues that affect water supply in the United States include droughts in the West, water
scarcity, pollution, a backlog of investment, concerns about the affordability of water for the
poorest, and a rapidly retiring workforce. Increased variability and intensity of rainfall as a result
of climate change is expected to produce both more severe droughts and flooding, with
potentially serious consequences for water supply and for pollution from combined sewer
overflows.[619][620][l]

Culture

Main article: Culture of the United States

The United States is home to many cultures and a wide variety of ethnic groups, traditions, and
values.[623][624] Aside from the Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Native
Alaskan populations, nearly all Americans or their ancestors settled or immigrated within the
past five centuries.[625] Mainstream American culture is a Western culture largely derived from
the traditions of European immigrants with influences from many other sources, such
as traditions brought by slaves from Africa.[623][626] More recent immigration from Asia and
especially Latin America has added to a cultural mix that has been described as both a
homogenizing melting pot, and a heterogeneous salad bowl in which immigrants and their
descendants retain distinctive cultural characteristics.[623]

Core American culture was established by Protestant British colonists and shaped by

the frontier settlement process, with the traits derived passed down to descendants and
transmitted to immigrants through assimilation. Americans have traditionally been characterized
by a strong work ethic, competitiveness, and individualism,[627] as well as a unifying belief in an
"American creed" emphasizing liberty, equality, private property, democracy, rule of law, and a

36
preference for limited government.[628] Americans are extremely charitable by global standards.
According to a 2006 British study, Americans gave 1.67% of GDP to charity, more than any
other nation studied, more than twice the second place British figure of 0.73%, and around
twelve times the French figure of 0.14%.[629][630][631]

The American Dream, or the perception that Americans enjoy high social mobility, plays a key
role in attracting immigrants.[632] Whether this perception is realistic has been a topic of debate.
[633][634][635][636][516][637]
 While mainstream culture holds that the United States is a classless society,
[638]
 scholars identify significant differences between the country's social classes,
[639]
affecting socialization, language, and values.  Americans' self-images, social viewpoints, and
cultural expectations are associated with their occupations to an unusually close degree.
[640]
 While Americans tend greatly to value socioeconomic achievement, being ordinary or
average is generally seen as a positive attribute.[641]

Food
Main article: Cuisine of the United States

Coca-Cola, a carbonated soft drink, was first introduced in 1886

Mainstream American cuisine is similar to that in other Western

countries. Wheat is the primary cereal grain with about three-quarters of
grain products made of wheat flour[642] and many dishes use indigenous
ingredients, such as turkey, venison, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, squash,
and maple syrup which were consumed by Native Americans and early
European settlers.[643] These homegrown foods are part of a shared national
menu on one of America's most popular holidays, Thanksgiving, when some Americans make
traditional foods to celebrate the occasion.[644]

Characteristic dishes such as apple pie, fried chicken, pizza, hamburgers, and hot dogs derive
from the recipes of various immigrants. French fries, Mexican dishes such as burritos and tacos,
and pasta dishes freely adapted from Italian sources are widely consumed.[645] Americans drink
three times as much coffee as tea.[646] Marketing by U.S. industries is largely responsible for
making orange juice and milk ubiquitous breakfast beverages.[647][648]

American eating habits owe a great deal to that of their British culinary roots with some
variations. Although American lands could grow newer vegetables that Britain could not, most

37
colonists would not eat these new foods until accepted by Europeans. [649] Over time American
foods changed to a point that food critic, John L. Hess stated in 1972: "Our founding fathers
were as far superior to our present political leaders in the quality of their food as they were in
the quality of their prose and intelligence".[650]

The American fast food industry, the world's largest,[651] pioneered the drive-through format in

the 1940s.[652] Fast food consumption has sparked health concerns. During the 1980s and
1990s, Americans' caloric intake rose 24%;[645] frequent dining at fast food outlets is associated
with what public health officials call the American "obesity epidemic".[653] Highly sweetened soft
drinks are widely popular, and sugared beverages account for nine percent of American caloric
intake.[654]

Literature, philosophy, and visual art

Main articles: American literature, American philosophy, Architecture of the United States,
and Visual art of the United States

Mark Twain, American author and humorist

In the 18th and early 19th centuries, American art and literature
took most of its cues from Europe. Writers such as Washington
Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, and Henry David
Thoreau established a distinctive American literary voice by the
middle of the 19th century. Mark Twain and poet Walt
Whitman were major figures in the century's second half; Emily
Dickinson, virtually unknown during her lifetime, is now recognized
as an essential American poet.[655] A work seen as capturing
fundamental aspects of the national experience and character—such as Herman
Melville's Moby-Dick (1851), Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), F. Scott
Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (1925) and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird (1960)—may be
dubbed the "Great American Novel".[656]

Twelve U.S. citizens have won the Nobel Prize in Literature, most recently Bob Dylan in
2016. William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck are often named among the
most influential writers of the 20th century.[657] Popular literary genres such as
the Western and hardboiled crime fiction developed in the United States. The Beat

38
Generation writers opened up new literary approaches, as have postmodernist authors such
as John Barth, Thomas Pynchon, and Don DeLillo.[658]

The transcendentalists, led by Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, established the first

major American philosophical movement. After the Civil War, Charles Sanders Peirce and
then William James and John Dewey were leaders in the development of pragmatism. In the
20th century, the work of W. V. O. Quine and Richard Rorty, and later Noam Chomsky,
brought analytic philosophy to the fore of American philosophical academia. John
Rawls and Robert Nozick led a revival of political philosophy, and Martha Nussbaum is its most
important figure today. Cornel West and Judith Butler have led a continental tradition in
American philosophical academia. Chicago school economists like Milton Friedman, James M.
Buchanan, and Thomas Sowell have affected various fields in social and political philosophy. [659]
[660]

In the visual arts, the Hudson River School was a mid-19th-century movement in the tradition of
European naturalism. The realist paintings of Thomas Eakins are now widely celebrated. The
1913 Armory Show in New York City, an exhibition of European modernist art, shocked the
public and transformed the U.S. art scene.[661] Georgia O'Keeffe, Marsden Hartley, and others
experimented with new, individualistic styles. Major artistic movements such as the abstract
expressionism of Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning and the pop art of Andy
Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein developed largely in the United States. The tide of modernism and
then postmodernism has brought fame to American architects such as Frank Lloyd
Wright, Philip Johnson, and Frank Gehry.[662] Americans have long been important in the modern
artistic medium of photography, with major photographers including Alfred Stieglitz, Edward
Steichen, Edward Weston, and Ansel Adams.[663]

One of the first major promoters of American theater was impresario P. T. Barnum, who began
operating a lower Manhattan entertainment complex in 1841. The team of Harrigan and
Hart produced a series of popular musical comedies in New York starting in the late 1870s. In
the 20th century, the modern musical form emerged on Broadway; the songs of musical theater
composers such as Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin, and Stephen
Sondheim have become pop standards. Playwright Eugene O'Neill won the Nobel literature
prize in 1936; other acclaimed U.S. dramatists include multiple Pulitzer
Prize winners Tennessee Williams, Edward Albee, and August Wilson.[664]

Choreographers Isadora Duncan and Martha Graham helped create modern dance,

while George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins were leaders in 20th-century ballet.[665]

39
Music
Main articles: Music of the United States and American classical music

Although little known at the time, Charles Ives's work of the 1910s established him as the first
major U.S. composer in the classical tradition, while experimentalists such as Henry
Cowell and John Cage created a distinctive American approach to classical composition. Aaron
Copland and George Gershwin developed a new synthesis of popular and classical music.

The rhythmic and lyrical styles of African-American music have deeply influenced American

music at large, distinguishing it from European and African traditions. Elements from folk idioms
such as the blues and what is now known as old-time music were adopted and transformed
into popular genres with global audiences. Jazz was developed by innovators such as Louis
Armstrong and Duke Ellington early in the 20th century. Country music developed in the 1920s,
and rhythm and blues in the 1940s.[666]

Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry were among the mid-1950s pioneers of rock and roll. Rock
bands such as Metallica, the Eagles, and Aerosmith are among the highest grossing in
worldwide sales.[667][668][669] In the 1960s, Bob Dylan emerged from the folk revival to become one
of America's most celebrated songwriters and James Brown led the development of funk.

More recent American creations include hip hop and house music. American pop stars such
as Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, and Madonna have become global celebrities,[666] as have
contemporary musical artists such as Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Jay-
Z, Eminem, Kanye West, and Ariana Grande.[670]

Cinema
Main article: Cinema of the United States

The Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles, California

Hollywood, a northern district of Los Angeles, California, is one of the leaders in motion picture
production.[671] The world's first commercial motion picture exhibition was given in New York City

40
in 1894, using Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope.[672] The next year saw the first commercial
screening of a projected film, also in New York, and the United States was in the forefront
of sound film's development in the following decades. Since the early 20th century, the U.S. film
industry has largely been based in and around Hollywood, although in the 21st century an
increasing number of films are not made there, and film companies have been subject to the
forces of globalization.[673]

Director D. W. Griffith, the top American filmmaker during the silent film period, was central to

the development of film grammar, and producer/entrepreneur Walt Disney was a leader in
both animated film and movie merchandising.[674] Directors such as John Ford redefined the
image of the American Old West and history, and, like others such as John Huston, broadened
the possibilities of cinema with location shooting, with great influence on subsequent directors.
The industry enjoyed its golden years, in what is commonly referred to as the "Golden Age of
Hollywood", from the early sound period until the early 1960s,[675] with screen actors such
as John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe becoming iconic figures.[676][677] In the 1970s, film directors
such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and Robert Altman were a vital component in
what became known as "New Hollywood" or the "Hollywood Renaissance",[678] grittier films
influenced by French and Italian realist pictures of the post-war period.[679] Since, directors such
as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and James Cameron have gained renown for their
blockbuster films, often characterized by high production costs, and in return, high earnings at
the box office, with the Russo brothers, Avengers: Endgame (2019) being the highest-grossing
film of all time.[680]

Notable films topping the American Film Institute's AFI 100 list include Orson Welles's Citizen

Kane (1941), which is frequently cited as the greatest film of all time, [681]
[682]
 Casablanca (1942), The Godfather (1972), Gone with the Wind (1939), Lawrence of
Arabia (1962), The Wizard of Oz (1939), The Graduate (1967), On the
Waterfront (1954), Schindler's List (1993), Singin' in the Rain (1952), It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
and Sunset Boulevard (1950).[683] The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, have
been held annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1929,[684] and
the Golden Globe Awards have been held annually since January 1944.[685]

Sports
Main article: Sports in the United States

41
The most popular American sports are American football, basketball, baseball, and ice hockey.
[686]

American football is by several measures the most popular spectator sport; [687] the National
Football League (NFL) has the highest average attendance of any sports league in the world,
and the Super Bowl is watched by millions globally. Baseball has been regarded as the
U.S. national sport since the late 19th century, with Major League Baseball (MLB) being the top
league. Basketball and ice hockey are the country's next two leading professional team sports,
with the top leagues being the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey
League (NHL). These four major sports, when played professionally, each occupy a season at
different but overlapping, times of the year. College football and basketball attract large
audiences.[688] In soccer, the country hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the men's national
soccer team qualified for ten World Cups and the women's team has won the FIFA Women's
World Cup four times; Major League Soccer is the sport's highest league in the United States
(featuring 23 American and three Canadian teams). The market for professional sports in the

42
United States is roughly $69 billion, roughly 50% larger than that of all of Europe, the Middle
East, and Africa combined.[689]

Eight Olympic Games have taken place in the United States (2028 Summer Olympics will mark
the ninth time). The 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri were the first ever Olympic
Games held outside of Europe.[690] As of 2017, the United States has won 2,522 medals at
the Summer Olympic Games, more than any other country, and 305 in the Winter Olympic
Games, the second most behind Norway.[691] While most major U.S. sports such
as baseball and American football have evolved out of European
practices, basketball, volleyball, skateboarding, and snowboarding are American inventions,
some of which have become popular worldwide. Lacrosse and surfing arose from Native
American and Native Hawaiian activities that predate Western contact. [692] The most
watched individual sports are golf and auto racing, particularly NASCAR.[693][694] Rugby union is
considered the fastest growing sport in the U.S., with registered players, numbered at 115,000+
and a further 1.2 million participants.[695]

Mass media
Main article: Media of the United States

The headquarters of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City

The four major broadcasters in the U.S. are the National

Broadcasting Company (NBC), Columbia Broadcasting
System (CBS), American Broadcasting Company (ABC), and Fox
Broadcasting Company (FOX). The four major broadcast television
networks are all commercial entities. Cable television offers
hundreds of channels catering to a variety of niches.[696] Americans
listen to radio programming, also largely commercial, on average just over two-and-a-half hours
a day.[697]

In 1998, the number of U.S. commercial radio stations had grown to 4,793 AM stations and
5,662 FM stations. In addition, there are 1,460 public radio stations. Most of these stations are
run by universities and public authorities for educational purposes and are financed by public or
private funds, subscriptions, and corporate underwriting. Much public-radio broadcasting is
supplied by NPR (formerly National Public Radio). NPR was incorporated in February 1970

43
under the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967; its television counterpart, PBS, was also created by
the same legislation (NPR and PBS are operated separately from each other). As of
September 30, 2014, there are 15,433 licensed full-power radio stations in the U.S. according to
the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).[698]

Well-known newspapers include The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and USA
Today.[699] Although the cost of publishing has increased over the years, the price of newspapers
has generally remained low, forcing newspapers to rely more on advertising revenue and on
articles provided by a major wire service, such as the Associated Press or Reuters, for their
national and world coverage. With very few exceptions, all the newspapers in the U.S. are
privately owned, either by large chains such as Gannett or McClatchy, which own dozens or
even hundreds of newspapers; by small chains that own a handful of papers; or in a situation
that is increasingly rare, by individuals or families. Major cities often have "alternative weeklies"
to complement the mainstream daily papers, for example, New York City's The Village Voice or
Los Angeles' LA Weekly, to name two of the best-known. Major cities may also support a local
business journal, trade papers relating to local industries, and papers for local ethnic and social
groups. Early versions of the American newspaper comic strip and the American comic
book began appearing in the 19th century. In 1938, Superman, the comic book superhero of DC
Comics, developed into an American icon.[700] Aside from web portals and search engines, the
most popular websites are Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia, Yahoo!, eBay, Amazon, and Twitter.
[701]

More than 800 publications are produced in Spanish, the second most commonly used
language in the United States behind Englis

Taxation in the United States

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article is part of a series on

Taxation in the
United States of America

44
 Federal taxation[show]

State and local taxation[show]

Federal tax reform[show]

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45
 Elections[show]

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The United States of America has separate federal, state, and local
governments with taxes imposed at each of these levels. Taxes are levied on income, payroll,
property, sales, capital gains, dividends, imports, estates and gifts, as well as various fees. In
2010, taxes collected by federal, state, and municipal governments amounted to 24.8% of GDP.
In the OECD, only Chile and Mexico are taxed less as a share of their GDP.[1]
However, taxes fall much more heavily on labor income than on capital income. Divergent taxes
and subsidies for different forms of income and spending can also constitute a form of indirect
taxation of some activities over others. For example, individual spending on higher education
can be said to be "taxed" at a high rate, compared to other forms of personal expenditure which
are formally recognized as investments.
Taxes are imposed on net income of individuals and corporations by the federal, most state,
and some local governments. Citizens and residents are taxed on worldwide income and
allowed a credit for foreign taxes. Income subject to tax is determined under tax accounting
rules, not financial accounting principles, and includes almost all income from whatever source.
Most business expenses reduce taxable income, though limits apply to a few expenses.
Individuals are permitted to reduce taxable income by personal allowances and certain non-
business expenses, including home mortgage interest, state and local taxes, charitable
contributions, and medical and certain other expenses incurred above certain percentages of
income. State rules for determining taxable income often differ from federal rules. Federal
marginal tax rates vary from 10% to 37% of taxable income. State and local tax rates vary
widely by jurisdiction, from 0% to 13.30% of income,[2] and many are graduated. State taxes are
generally treated as a deductible expense for federal tax computation, although the 2017 tax
law imposed a $10,000 limit on the state and local tax ("SALT") deduction, which raised the
effective tax rate on medium and high earners in high tax states. Prior to the SALT deduction
limit, the average deduction exceeded $10,000 in most of the Midwest, and exceeded $11,000
in most of the Northeastern United States, as well as California and Oregon.[3] The states
impacted the most by the limit were the tri-state area (NY, NJ, and CT) and California; the
average SALT deduction in those states was greater than $17,000 in 2014.[3]
The United States is one of two countries in the world that taxes its non-resident citizens on
worldwide income, in the same manner and rates as residents; the other is Eritrea. The U.S.

46
Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of imposition of such a tax in the case of Cook v.
Tait.[4]
Payroll taxes are imposed by the federal and all state governments. These include Social
Security and Medicare taxes imposed on both employers and employees, at a combined rate of
15.3% (13.3% for 2011 and 2012). Social Security tax applies only to the first $132,900 of
wages in 2019.[5] There is an additional Medicare tax of 0.9% on wages above $200,000.
Employers must withhold income taxes on wages. An unemployment tax and certain other
levies apply to employers. Payroll taxes have dramatically increased as a share of federal
revenue since the 1950s, while corporate income taxes have fallen as a share of revenue.
(Corporate profits have not fallen as a share of GDP).
Property taxes are imposed by most local governments and many special purpose authorities
based on the fair market value of property. School and other authorities are often separately
governed, and impose separate taxes. Property tax is generally imposed only on realty, though
some jurisdictions tax some forms of business property. Property tax rules and rates vary widely
with annual median rates ranging from 0.2% to 1.9% of a property's value depending on the
state.[6]
Sales taxes are imposed by most states and some localities on the price at retail sale of many
goods and some services. Sales tax rates vary widely among jurisdictions, from 0% to 16%, and
may vary within a jurisdiction based on the particular goods or services taxed. Sales tax is
collected by the seller at the time of sale, or remitted as use tax by buyers of taxable items who
did not pay sales tax.
The United States imposes tariffs or customs duties on the import of many types of goods from
many jurisdictions. These tariffs or duties must be paid before the goods can be legally
imported. Rates of duty vary from 0% to more than 20%, based on the particular goods and
country of origin.
Estate and gift taxes are imposed by the federal and some state governments on the transfer of
property inheritance, by will, or by lifetime donation. Similar to federal income taxes, federal
estate and gift taxes are imposed on worldwide property of citizens and residents and allow a
credit for foreign taxes.

List of U.S. states by electricity production

from renewable sources
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search

47
 Sources of electricity for 2016.[1]

The information used to calculate values is from the Electric Power Monthly, February 2015 and
2014 published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Renewable generation does not
include amounts for rooftop solar; only utility scale generation from solar sources is included.

Contents

 1States by 2017 renewable electricity production

 2States by 2016 renewable electricity production

 3States by 2015 renewable electricity production

 4See also

 5References

 6External links

48
States by 2017 renewable electricity production[edit]

Shows the carbon intensity of electricity generation (gm CO2/kWh) for each state. Data used to calculate
values is from EIA. Over the last several years the trend has been towards less CO2 emissions.

49
U.S. states by renewable electricity production, 2017

% Renewable Renewable Electricity

Rank w/o Total

Ran
Hydropowe State electricity
k with with w/o
r w/o (GW•h)
Hydr Hydro Hydro
Hydro
o (GW•h) (GW•h)

United States 17.1 9.6 687,290 387,245 4,014,804

1 2 Vermont 99.6 41.3 2,069 858 2,077

2 10 Idaho 81.6 21.9 12,989 3,480 15,926

3 21 Washington 80.0 8.2 92,342 9,517 115,474

4 16 Oregon 76.3 13.6 44,623 7,980 58,516

5 1 Maine 75.9 46.1 8,492 5,169 11,192

6 6 South Dakota 73.1 30.2 7,651 3,156 10,464

7 8 California 47.2 26.5 97,298 54,606 206,107

8 23 Montana 45.1 7.8 12,753 2,192 28,269

50
 % Renewable Renewable Electricity

Rank w/o Total

Ran
Hydropowe State electricity
k with with w/o
r w/o (GW•h)
Hydr Hydro Hydro
Hydro
o (GW•h) (GW•h)

9 3 Iowa 38.8 37.2 21,933 21,018 56,478

10 4 Kansas 36.2 36.1 18,590 18,561 51,366

11 5 Oklahoma 36.1 32.3 27,598 24,737 76,545

12 35 Alaska 33.3 3.45 1,987 206 5,971

13 7 North Dakota 31.8 26.9 13,029 10,993 40,931

14 31 New York 27.8 5.0 35,505 6,440 127,880

15 9 Minnesota 24.9 22.8 14,885 13,628 59,701

16 11 Nevada 24.8 20.1 9,414 7,621 37,967

17 12 Colorado 23.4 19.6 12,686 10,668 54,318

18 18 New Hampshire 19.9 12.5 3,483 2,195 17,494

19 15 Nebraska 19.3 14.9 6,945 5,351 35,937

51
 % Renewable Renewable Electricity

Rank w/o Total

Ran
Hydropowe State electricity
k with with w/o
r w/o (GW•h)
Hydr Hydro Hydro
Hydro
o (GW•h) (GW•h)

20 13 New Mexico 17.7 16.9 5,933 5,683 33,566

21 14 Texas 16.0 15.6 72,345 70,759 452,235

22 17 Hawaii 14.2 13.5 1,399 1,332 9,848

23 30 Arizona 11.8 5.3 12,536 5,564 105,833

24 20 Utah 11.6 9.4 4,263 3,444 36,732

25 19 Wyoming 11.6 9.4 5,434 4,398 46,826

26 49 Tennessee 11.2 1.42 8,725 1,111 78,103

27 22 Massachusetts 10.5 7.8 3,291 2,466 31,456

28 26 North Carolina 10.3 6.6 13,398 8,682 130,689

29 34 Maryland 9.8 4.07 3,352 1,389 34,132

30 32 Wisconsin 9.3 4.90 6,040 3,195 65,247

31 42 Alabama 9.2 2.57 12,782 3,580 139,194

52
 % Renewable Renewable Electricity

Rank w/o Total

Ran
Hydropowe State electricity
k with with w/o
r w/o (GW•h)
Hydr Hydro Hydro
Hydro
o (GW•h) (GW•h)

32 44 Arkansas 8.8 2.45 5,470 1,519 62,109

33 25 Michigan 8.3 6.9 9,344 7,732 112,367

34 29 Georgia 7.9 5.5 10,194 7,054 128,979

35 24 Rhode Island 7.2 7.2 378 376 5,244

36 50 Kentucky 6.9 0.67 4,948 483 72,116

37 27 Illinois 6.6 6.5 11,976 11,847 181,911

38 33 Virginia 6.4 4.72 6,027 4,410 93,500

39 28 Indiana 6.0 5.5 6,001 5,533 100,492

40 36 South Carolina 5.9 2.99 5,497 2,793 93,467

41 46 West Virginia 4.60 2.19 3,376 1,607 73,410

42 37 Pennsylvania 4.35 2.99 8,705 5,981 200,201

43 43 Missouri 4.24 2.57 3,552 2,152 83,801

53
 % Renewable Renewable Electricity

Rank w/o Total

Ran
Hydropowe State electricity
k with with w/o
r w/o (GW•h)
Hydr Hydro Hydro
Hydro
o (GW•h) (GW•h)

44 38 Louisiana 4.15 2.88 4,027 2,796 96,978

45 40 Connecticut 3.46 2.70 1,180 920 34,108

46 39 New Jersey 2.89 2.85 2,153 2,127 74,541

47 41 Mississippi 2.60 2.60 1,573 1,573 60,574

48 45 Florida 2.53 2.44 6,006 5,811 237,821

49 47 Ohio 2.48 2.02 2,954 2,401 118,974

50 48 Delaware 1.68 1.68 129 129 7,662

[2]

States by 2016 renewable electricity production[edit]

Several states, including Texas have substantially increased non hydro generation due to wind and
solar additions.

54
 % Renewable Renewable Electricity

Rank w/o Total

Ran
Hydropowe State electricity
k with with w/o
r w/o (GW•h)
Hydr Hydro Hydro
Hydro
o (GW•h) (GW•h)

United States 14.9 8.4 609,057 343,228 4,078,670

1 1 Vermont 99.8 44.3 1,898 842 1,901

2 10 Idaho 78.6 19.6 12,584 3,138 16,011

3 20 Washington 77.1 8.9 86,902 10,059 112,784

4 13 Oregon 70.9 14.2 42,122 8,422 59,425

5 4 South Dakota 70.2 30.4 7,280 3,146 10,363

6 2 Maine 63.6 38.1 7,408 4,440 11,650

7 21 Montana 43.8 7.6 12,334 2,151 28,153

8 6 California 40.3 25.8 80,208 51,263 199,038

9 3 Iowa 38.8 37.1 21,261 20,305 54,793

10 33 Alaska 32.6 3.97 1,764 215 5,417

11 5 Kansas 29.7 29.7 14,187 14,187 47,705

55
 % Renewable Renewable Electricity

Rank w/o Total

Ran
Hydropowe State electricity
k with with w/o
r w/o (GW•h)
Hydr Hydro Hydro
Hydro
o (GW•h) (GW•h)

12 7 Oklahoma 28.6 25.5 22,226 19,844 77,740

13 8 North Dakota 26.6 21.5 10,003 8,091 37,582

14 28 New York 24.6 4.78 33,016 6,412 134,249

15 9 Minnesota 22.2 20.7 13,348 12,464 60,148

16 11 Colorado 22.0 18.5 11,981 10,063 54,394

17 12 Nevada 21.6 17.1 8,531 6,764 39,549

18 17 New Hampshire 16.8 11.0 3,243 2,122 19,249

19 14 Hawaii 14.9 13.7 1,436 1,318 9,607

20 18 Nebraska 14.9 10.4 5,618 3,893 37,603

21 15 New Mexico 13.9 13.5 4,598 4,452 33,010

22 16 Texas 13.4 13.2 61,140 60,037 455,532

23 19 Wyoming 11.6 9.4 5,361 4,363 46,292

56
 % Renewable Renewable Electricity

Rank w/o Total

Ran
Hydropowe State electricity
k with with w/o
r w/o (GW•h)
Hydr Hydro Hydro
Hydro
o (GW•h) (GW•h)

24 32 Arizona 10.7 4.15 11,673 4,515 108,770

25 49 Tennessee 10.7 1.41 8,544 1,126 80,035

26 22 Massachusetts 9.0 6.6 2,908 2,138 32,453

27 24 Utah 8.3 6.1 3,131 2,315 37,791

28 29 Wisconsin 8.3 4.55 5,351 2,946 64,797

29 27 North Carolina 8.2 4.78 10,812 6,283 131,486

30 42 Arkansas 8.0 2.37 4,842 1,432 60,417

31 23 Michigan 7.8 6.4 8,761 7,213 112,719

32 43 Alabama 7.7 2.30 11,010 3,289 143,022

33 35 Maryland 7.3 3.59 2,735 1,338 37,282

34 31 Georgia 6.5 4.17 8,645 5,563 133,318

35 30 Virginia 6.1 4.49 5,672 4,146 92,439

57
 % Renewable Renewable Electricity

Rank w/o Total

Ran
Hydropowe State electricity
k with with w/o
r w/o (GW•h)
Hydr Hydro Hydro
Hydro
o (GW•h) (GW•h)

36 25 Illinois 6.1 6.0 11,388 11,259 186,939

37 26 Indiana 5.9 5.5 6,038 5,623 101,824

38 40 South Carolina 4.93 2.45 4,777 2,378 96,970

39 50 Kentucky 4.87 0.58 3,914 464 80,345

40 34 Rhode Island 3.92 3.92 258 258 6,588

41 36 Pennsylvania 3.87 2.76 8,311 5,935 214,811

42 45 West Virginia 3.76 1.90 2,847 1,437 75,626

43 38 Louisiana 3.55 2.52 3,790 2,687 106,688

44 39 Connecticut 3.28 2.50 1,197 911 36,455

45 47 Missouri 3.23 1.66 2,547 1,310 78,905

46 37 New Jersey 2.61 2.61 2,027 2,027 77,620

47 41 Mississippi 2.37 2.37 1,494 1,494 62,906

58
 % Renewable Renewable Electricity

Rank w/o Total

Ran
Hydropowe State electricity
k with with w/o
r w/o (GW•h)
Hydr Hydro Hydro
Hydro
o (GW•h) (GW•h)

48 46 Ohio 2.19 1.76 2,619 2,102 119,356

49 44 Florida 2.16 2.06 5,132 4,913 238,094

50 48 Delaware 1.55 1.55 136 136 8,765

[3]

States by 2015 renewable electricity production[edit]

Vermont jumps to the top as a result of the closure of Vermont Yankee.

% Renewable Renewable Electricity

Rank w/o Total

Ran
Hydropowe State electricity
k with with w/o
r w/o (GW•h)
Hydr Hydro Hydro
Hydro
o (GW•h) (GW•h)

United States 13.3 7.2 544,241 295,161 4,077,601

1 1 Vermont 99.7 42.3 1,977 838 1,982

2 4 South Dakota 76.3 25.9 7,348 2,498 9,633

3 18 Washington 75.5 8.3 82,472 9,067 109,287

4 9 Idaho 74.7 18.8 11,704 2,947 15,667

59
 % Renewable Renewable Electricity

Rank w/o Total

Ran
Hydropowe State electricity
k with with w/o
r w/o (GW•h)
Hydr Hydro Hydro
Hydro
o (GW•h) (GW•h)

5 12 Oregon 67.7 13.7 39,204 7,950 57,867

6 2 Maine 66.5 37.9 7,810 4,449 11,741

7 21 Montana 40.5 6.8 11,874 1,986 29,302

8 3 Iowa 33.7 32.0 19,091 18,131 56,659

9 6 California 30.1 23.1 59,203 45,395 196,704

10 31 Alaska 28.4 3.42 1,784 215 6,285

11 5 Kansas 24.3 24.3 11,081 11,062 45,527

12 28 New York 23.3 4.56 32,334 6,319 138,628

13 10 North Dakota 23.2 17.5 8,603 6,509 37,157

14 8 Oklahoma 22.4 18.9 17,033 14,369 76,136

15 7 Minnesota 21.8 20.3 12,437 11,588 56,980

16 13 Nevada 18.9 13.1 7,367 5,103 39,047

60
 % Renewable Renewable Electricity

Rank w/o Total

Ran
Hydropowe State electricity
k with with w/o
r w/o (GW•h)
Hydr Hydro Hydro
Hydro
o (GW•h) (GW•h)

17 11 Colorado 18.0 14.9 9,427 7,807 52,393

18 16 New Hampshire 16.6 10.2 3,318 2,048 20,016

19 48 Tennessee 14.2 1.50 10,707 1,126 75,215

20 14 Hawaii 13.2 12.0 1,339 1,218 10,120

21 19 Nebraska 12.4 8.2 4,936 3,251 39,883

22 15 Texas 10.6 10.4 47,630 46,674 449,826

23 20 Wyoming 9.4 7.7 4,625 3,757 48,967

24 30 Arizona 9.4 3.65 10,671 4,135 113,142

25 37 Arkansas 9.0 2.56 4,991 1,422 55,559

26 17 New Mexico 8.7 8.4 2,833 2,734 32,701

27 42 Alabama 8.6 2.16 13,151 3,289 152,477

28 27 Wisconsin 8.3 4.76 5,503 3,162 66,360

61
 % Renewable Renewable Electricity

Rank w/o Total

Ran
Hydropowe State electricity
k with with w/o
r w/o (GW•h)
Hydr Hydro Hydro
Hydro
o (GW•h) (GW•h)

29 24 Massachusetts 8.3 5.7 2,660 1,833 32,086

30 22 Michigan 7.8 6.4 8,782 7,283 113,008

31 34 Maryland 7.4 2.94 2,691 1,068 36,366

32 33 North Carolina 6.8 3.09 8,705 3,963 128,388

33 26 Virginia 6.3 4.91 5,302 4,144 84,412

34 29 Georgia 6.1 3.78 7,847 4,863 128,818

35 23 Illinois 5.9 5.8 11,447 11,323 193,952

36 25 Indiana 5.3 4.92 5,499 5,118 104,019

37 39 South Carolina 5.0 2.38 4,858 2,294 96,532

38 35 Utah 4.63 2.79 1,941 1,172 41,949

39 50 Kentucky 4.60 0.53 3,844 441 83,544

40 36 Pennsylvania 3.93 2.71 8,425 5,821 214,572

62
 % Renewable Renewable Electricity

Rank w/o Total

Ran
Hydropowe State electricity
k with with w/o
r w/o (GW•h)
Hydr Hydro Hydro
Hydro
o (GW•h) (GW•h)

41 45 West Virginia 3.83 1.91 2,766 1,381 72,295

42 32 Rhode Island 3.44 3.40 239 236 6,939

43 38 Louisiana 3.44 2.51 3,704 2,705 107,812

44 49 Missouri 3.32 1.41 2,774 1,179 83,640

45 43 Connecticut 2.95 2.15 1,107 805 37,471

46 40 Mississippi 2.33 2.33 1,507 1,507 64,758

47 41 Florida 2.27 2.17 5,387 5,143 237,413

48 44 New Jersey 2.15 2.14 1,605 1,595 74,609

49 46 Ohio 2.06 1.69 2,515 2,058 121,893

50 47 Delaware 1.66 1.66 130 130 7,810

[4]

See also[edit]
 Renewable energy in the United States
 Electricity sector of the United States
 Growth of wind power in the United States

63
 List of countries by electricity production from renewable sources
 List of U.S. states by carbon dioxide emissions
 List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions
 List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions per capita

References[edit]
1. ^ http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly Electric power monthly Feb. 2017
2. ^ "Electric Power Monthly, February 2018"  (PDF). Energy Information Administration (EIA)
U.S. Department of Energy. Retrieved  2018-07-22.
3. ^ "Electric Power Monthly, February 2017"  (PDF). Energy Information Administration (EIA)
U.S. Department of Energy. Retrieved  2017-03-09.
4. ^ "Electric Power Monthly, February 2017"  (PDF). Energy Information Administration (EIA)
U.S. Department of Energy. Retrieved  2017-03-09.

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Prior editions of 37 C.F.R. Part 2 - Rules of Practice in Trademark Cases; the text of the Trademark
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64
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65
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 Miscellaneous Changes to Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Rules of Practice; Correction,
89382–89383 [2016–29728] [TEXT](link is external) [PDF](link is external) (12Dec2016)
 Trademark Fee Adjustment, Correction, 78042–78043 [2016-
26684] [TEXT] [PDF] (07Nov2016)
 International Trademark Classification; Changes, 76867–76870 [2016–26682] [TEXT](link is
external) [PDF](link is external) (04Nov2016)
 Trademark Fee Adjustment, 72694–72708 [2016-25506] [TEXT] [PDF] (21Oct2016)
 Miscellaneous Changes to Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Rules of Practice, 69950–69988
[2016–23092] [TEXT](link is external) [PDF](link is external) (07Oct2016)
 USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program, 33591–33598 [2016–12498] [TEXT](link is
external) [PDF](link is external) (27May2016)
 International Trademark Classification Changes [TEXT] [PDF] (24Dec2015)
 Trademark Rules of Practice: Rules of Practice for Collective Trademarks and Service Marks,
Collective Membership Marks, and Certification Marks [TEXT] [PDF] (11June2015)
 Trademark Rules of Practice: Rules of Practice in Filings Pursuant to the Protocol Relating to
the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks, 2303–2313 [2015–
00267] [TEXT] [PDF] (16Jan2015)
 Reduction of Fees for Trademark Applications and Renewals, 74633–74639 [2014–
29413] [TEXT] [PDF] (16Dec2014)
 International Trademark Classification Changes [TEXT] [PDF] (09Aug2012)
 Changes in Requirements for Specimens and for Affidavits or Declarations of Continued Use
or Excusable Nonuse in Trademark Cases [TEXT] [PDF] (22May2012)
 Trademark Technical and Conforming Amendments [TEXT] [PDF] (08Nov2011)
 

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Regulated products and activities
Applications for trademarks used on regulated products (e.g. cannabis, drug paraphernalia, ivory,
whalebone) and activities (e.g. gambling and wagering, retail stores featuring controlled substances)
are subject to additional review. The USPTO may inquire about your compliance with federal law
before issuing a registration. If your goods, services, or trademark violate federal law, we will issue a
refusal. 
See TMEP 907 for more information.
 
Precedential refusals on basis of unlawful use

In re Brown, 119 USPQ2d 1350 (TTAB 2016) (retail store services featuring herbs)
In re PharmaCann LLC, 123 USPQ2d 1122 (TTAB 2017) (retail store services featuring medical
marijuana)
In re JJ206, LLC, 120 USPQ2d 1568 (TTAB 2016) (smokeless marijuana or cannabis vaporizer
apparatus, namely, oral vaporizers for smokers; vaporizing marijuana or cannabis delivery device,
namely, oral vaporizers for smoking purposes)
In re Harley, 119 USPQ2d 1755 (TTAB 2016) (home health care services; refusals under Section 2(e)
(2) and on basis of failure to comply with requirement for additional information under Rule 2.61(b))
 
Non-Precedential refusals on basis of unlawful use

In re Ultra Trimmer, L.L.C., Serial No. 86479070 (November 29, 2016) (Agricultural machines,
namely, a trimming machine for trimming leaves, plants, flowers and buds)
In re JJ206, LLC, Serial No.86532274 (November 7, 2016) (“smokeless marijuana or cannabis
vaporizer apparatus, namely, oral vaporizers for smokers; vaporizing marijuana or cannabis delivery
device, namely, oral vaporizers for smoking purposes”)
 

Related
Rule Making: Trademark Federal Register Notices and Comments

Below are trademark-related Federal Register Notices published by the United States Patent and Trademark
Office. For a complete, searchable database of Federal Register...

Trademark Official Gazette Notices

This page presents the text of regular and special notices that appear in the Trademark Official Gazette (OG),
although not in the electronic version of the OG. These...

Madrid Protocol

Protection for marks in multiple countries through one international application

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Fastener Quality Act (FQA)

Information relating to the Fastener Quality Act (FQA), including the regulations implementing FQA, the
Fastener Insignia Registry of active recordals, the fillable PDF...

Native American Tribal Insignia

The USPTO has established a database to record the official insignia of federally and state-recognized Native
American tribes. This database is available at the USPTO's...

Trademark examination guides

Examination guides issued after the publication of the Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (TMEP)
(October 2018), or any issued before publication but not...

Source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States

https://www.uspto.gov/

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